


5 Sentence Fics - Trowa Barton

by lil_1337



Series: Five sentence fics [3]
Category: Gundam Wing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-02-05
Updated: 2006-02-05
Packaged: 2017-11-06 12:34:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,779
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/418982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lil_1337/pseuds/lil_1337





	5 Sentence Fics - Trowa Barton

#01 - Flip side

Of the five pilots Trowa was the first to buy a house much to the surprise of his friends as he spent most of his off time traveling. He claimed it was a good financial investment, which as it was as they were in a buyer’s market. He had spent a lot of time moving from place to place, first with the mercenaries then the circus, never staying anywhere long enough to put down roots. Having found a place he wanted to be and people he wanted to be with he no longer desired that nomadic lifestyle and instead wanted to see the world through the eyes of a tourist who could appreciate the beauty of the places he traveled to. In his mind the flip side of this was having a foundation and some place to come home to. 

#02 – Red tape

One of the things Trowa dislikes about working for Preventers is the amount of red tape that comes with each assignment. While intellectually he understands the need for documentation and accountability there is a part of him that misses being able to get in his Gundam and just do what needs to be done. When his frustration level gets to the point where he needs to step away he takes a break and goes up to roof to drink coffee and watch the people passing on the sidewalk. He walks slowly around the edging of the roof and reminds himself that like the narrow ledge under his feet Preventers walks a careful line between keeping the peace and controlling the actions of the citizens. The paperwork, checks and double checks that are occasionally so frustrating serve as a safety railing that keeps the organization from falling off the edge. 

#03 - Shot down

Mobile suits surrounded him, materializing through the smoke of the demolished and burning buildings of the OZ base. He’d heard them coming, moving through the smoke, searching for him. As they appeared, hazy shadows in the billowing gray clouds he shot them down. By the time his ammo was depleted Heavyarms was the only thing still standing. He walked away, another successful mission and fifty-two more reasons to not want to feel to his credit. 

#04 - Calling me home

“When he was fighting Dorothy I could hear him calling. Reaching out so I would know he needed me.” 

Duo nodded and took another drink of his beer, his eyes studying Trowa over the rim of the glass, noting the slight frown and the way his friend’s eyes were locked on the drink in front of him as he lost himself in the memories.  
“When I got there he was unconscious and floating, blood staining the side of his flight suit and pale as death.” There was pause and Trowa looked up to meet Duo’s eyes before continuing on softly, “That’s why no matter how much I might want to or think it’s the right thing, I can never forgive her.” 

 

#05 - Hands are tied

“I’m very sorry Mr. Barton but my hands are tied in this matter.” The man behind the counter’s lips curved into what he seemed to think was an ingratiating smile. Trowa did not return the smile or step away to allow the person in line behind him access as the nervous man indicated he should. The mural would be a tribute to all of the men and women who had lost their lives during the eve wars and was something that needed to be done to help the healing. He had not stopped fighting when surrounded by armies of mobile dolls and he would not be cowed by a city permit clerk. 

#06 - Call of the wild

Trowa is an avid reader and has said that he prefers the company of a good book to most people. He and Wufei will spend hours drinking coffee and discussing the meaning of different passages and the symbolism hidden in the turn of a phrase. Wufei’s education was steeped in the classics of literature and war while Trowa’s was life experience and what ever he could get his hands so their interpretations often vary. They each appreciate the perspective the other one brings to the conversation and try to take away something more from the conversation than what they went in with. Both men firmly agree that being able to discuss a book adds to the enjoyment of it regardless of whether it is a classic such as “Call of the wild” or the trashy romance novel Trowa was once desperate enough to read while trapped in an orbiting shuttle. 

#07 - Walking on the sun

The sweltering heat of the desert burned through Trowa’s boots and caused rivulets of sweat to run down his back. It was what he imagined it would feel like to take a walk on the sun, that was if you could actually do it without bursting into flames. The pyramids had been amazing and the ruins awe inspiring when he considered this was the cradle of humanity, where mankind in the form we now knew it had breathed its first breath. If he closed his eyes he could almost imagine the families that lived there, the gentle nomads and the fierce warrior tribes. If he kept them closed he could hear Quatre’s voice drifting on the superheated air as it had that day when he’d bid Trowa goodbye and called him friend. 

#08 - No retreat

“Clowns to the left of me jokers to the right, here I am stuck in the middle with you.” Hilde slipped her arm through Heero’s and smirked at first Trowa then Duo as she sang. Over her head Trowa and Duo’s eyes met, plans were made and execution agreed upon. The two men pounced, tickling and laughing as she tried to get away, carefully herding her towards the pool. Balanced on the edge, with no retreat available she grabbed them both by the arm and let herself fall backwards. 

#09 - Stitch in time

The mercenaries taught Trowa to sew as soon as he was old enough to handle a needle and thread. Not only because it made it easier for them but because it was an important skill to have. Battles are hard on clothing even if the soldier is strapped into a mobile suit for the duration of the fighting. Most soldiers learn early that the biggest part of a soldier’s life is not spent in battle but in killing time waiting for the call. Something as simple and mindless as mending a torn shirt helps to pass those restless hours. 

#10 - Take the fall

He stood on the platform for the high wire, one hand resting on his stomach. The other outstretched as he bowed to the crowd. Shifting his weight he leaned forward, intentionally over balancing himself. Flipping, he took the fall that would let him land safely in the net with a bounce and another roar from the crowd. Now it was time for the trapeze artists to take their turn in the spotlight while he and Cathy prepared for their next act. 

#11 - Lonely at the top

The building was deserted except for the skeleton crew that was the night shift when Trowa knocked on the door to Lady Une’s office. Not bothering to wait for an answer he stepped inside offering the tired woman a fresh cup of coffee and a smile. They had been on opposite sides in the war, but she was his commander now and he had developed a level of respect for her abilities. She accepted the coffee with a thank you and a smile that reflected genuine gratitude. Once again he noticed the only personal item to grace her desk was a framed picture of Treize and he had to wonder if his life would parallel hers had Dorothy been successful. 

#12 - The big blue

Restlessly Trowa shifted in his seat. His shuttle flight had already gone on longer than he would have liked and on top of a tiring assignment all he wanted was twelve hours sleep in his own bed. Across the aisle the woman farthest from him opened the shade that covered her window and pointed out the Earth to the little boy seated on her lap. He watched along with them as the big blue dot slowly grew larger and the topography of the world became more distinct, smiling as the woman explained that it was called Earth or Terra. To him it would always simply be home. 

#13 - Deep water

When he goes to the beach Trowa likes to swim out into the deep water and float on his back with his eyes closed. The sensation of floating feels like being in space and that brings a small smile to his lips. If the water is cool and he starts to get chilled other sensations creep in. He is reminded of drifting in his flight suit, waiting for his oxygen to run out. When it becomes unbearable he opens his eyes to the sun then wades out of the water, reveling in the light and warmth that is always his if he chooses to reach out for it.

#14 - Riding the rail

After the mercenaries were killed Trowa decided he was going to go into space and try to find a place for himself. He stowed on board a ship, the space equivalent of riding the rails, and watched as the world fell away from his viewing port. He thought of Middie, her betrayal and her words. How she had said she envied him for being empty and having nothing to tie him down. He wished for just the briefest of moments that she was wrong. 

#15 - In good standing

As a Preventer in good standing Trowa does not have to pass through customs. One of the perks of what can be a tiring, frustrating and occasionally thankless job. Not that Trowa does it with any expectation of being thanked. They few times he has received goodies from people he has assisted he shared them with the rest of the agents, seeming uncomfortable with the gesture. After being a mercenary and a terrorist gratitude for doing his job does not fit within his worldview. 

#16 - Evergreen

When Trowa purchased his jeep it came with an air fresher in the shape of an evergreen that hung from the rearview mirror. Though that was over a year ago and the scent has long since faded he has left it, dangling where it was when he first picked the vehicle up on the lot. Heero, who had given him a ride over, remarked as he sat in the passenger’s seat for a ride that he’d never ridden in a car with an air freshener before even though they seemed to be everywhere. Concluding that this was because most of what they had driven was military vehicles. So Trowa leaves it hanging there as a reminder that he is a civilian and as such it is okay to be himself not just another soldier who blends into the crowd. 

#17 - Keeping in touch

Every Sunday Trowa calls Cathy to say hello and see how she is doing. Normally if he is going undercover he will call her before he leaves so she doesn’t worry if she doesn’t hear from him. When he gets back he will call her no matter what time of the day or night it is. When he first left the circus to join Preventers he would think of her but not pick up the phone to call. It wasn’t until she verbally spanked him one day and explained that relationships were a two way street that he realized he could. 

#18 - Absence of fear

More than once in his life Trowa has been told that he was envied for his absence of fear going into battle. Looking back over his life though he knows that what others saw as admirable or something to aspire to is anything but. The only way to live without fear is to separate yourself from your emotions so you feel nothing. This means you are bereft of feeling love and joy too. Having lived both ways he knows unequivocally that the trade off is more than worth it. 

#19 - On the radio

Trowa attacked while the pilot of the other Gundam was momentarily distracted. He knew he would not be able to take it down with just his knife but he would do as much damage as he could. They locked together, neither able to move or break the hold the other had. On the vid screen he saw the hatch open and the other pilot come out to stand on the platform, hands clenched tightly. Over the radio the young man’s voice was clear and strong, “You and I shouldn’t be fighting each other!” The tension in his body echoed the passion in his voice as he spoke eight simple words that would change the course of Trowa’s life forever. 

#20 - Stretching the truth

One of the perks of being friends with Relena is that she shares inside information on the politicians in the ESUN. She is willing to tell Trowa which ones are bending the truth and which ones disregard it completely. He trusts her judgment because they are the same side and has the same long-term goals. Having seen the things he has Trowa is realistic enough to know that war can be extremely profitable if you are in the right business so there will always be those that push for it. As a citizen with full rights and responsibilities he feels the need to know who should be eliminated from the political arena although he now uses the democratic process instead of Heavyarms as his weapon of choice. 

#21 - A matter of luck

The news anchor stated Preventers latest sting operation had been a matter of luck, a case of the right person in the right place. Trowa smiled when he heard the broadcast, pleased that it had looked that way. As the agent on the inside he had carefully orchestrated the “accidental” meeting that had brought about the organization’s downfall. It had been his job to move the pieces around the chessboard, setting up the black king to be taken out by the white pawn. And in the process protecting the role of black rook so it appeared to be no more than one of the captured pieces. 

#22 - Major renovation

The house that Trowa purchased was structurally sound but in need of a major renovation when he bought it. For months his evenings and weekends and often those of his friends were taken up with handyman work. When he walks through his now finished home he sees all around him the memories of the other pilots laughing and fighting as they worked. Because of that he feels that the house belongs to them as much as it does to him. On the day the work was completed each pilot received a house key on a chain and a standing open door invitation. 

#23 - Exit the dragon

The movie, chosen by Duo, for movie night was ‘Enter the Dragon’. Heero contributed pizza. Quatre arrived with soda and beer. Unfortunately Wufei was detained at headquarters with a break in a case and would be delayed. Trowa informed the rest of his company that their friend would be late by announcing that the call was exit the dragon then dodged quickly anticipating the pillows he knew would be thrown in his direction. 

#24 - Blotting paper

The murder was messy and the crime scene crew was already on site, dissembling it piece by piece when Trowa arrived. Written in large block letters on a piece of blotting paper were the words, DEATH TO QUEEN RELENA AND THE ESUN TRYANTS. It was signed with the mark of a setting sun, the symbol of one of splinter groups Trowa was currently investigating. His first call was to Heero to warn him of a possible attack as Agent Yuy was in charge of investigating all threats against the Vice Foreign minister. His second was to Quatre to ask if the other man could pick up Cathy at the shuttle port. 

#25 - Drawing the line

“No!” Drawing the proverbial line in the sand Trowa stood his ground. In general he tried to be flexible in both body and mind, taking life as it came. Not afraid to try new things or have new experiences. But when it came to his coffee no one, not even his closest friends were allowed to mess with it by adding strange things like flavored creamers.


End file.
